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Glaucoma gene variant found in black population
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A study has localized a gene on chromosome 2 associated with glaucoma in a black population, a finding that could affect future diagnosis and treatment of the disease, researchers said.
According to a press release from the University of California, Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, and colleagues with the National Eye Institute and the Barbados Family Study Group examined the human genome for gene variants linked to glaucoma.
The researchers looked at 249 glaucoma subjects and 128 controls. The study was conducted in a Barbados Afro-Caribbean population with a "strong genetic predisposition" to the disease.
"We have now identified very common gene variants that have a dramatic impact on an individual's risk for developing glaucoma," Dr. Zhang said in the press release. "These gene variants are present in 40% of individuals with glaucoma in the Barbados population and explains nearly one-third of their genetic risk for the disease. This study should give us a better handle on earlier diagnoses and new therapies."
He said the study's results could have a wide-reaching impact on the management and treatment of the disease.
"Once we understand the specific gene or protein structure that is altered in the disease, we are one step closer to developing gene or stem cell-based therapies to treat glaucoma," he said.